The idea that kids know how hungry or full they are is a given. But it's just not true.
Although most children are born with an innate sense of how hungry they are, parents — and the rest of society — mess this up pretty quickly. As a result, we've raised a bunch of kids who are disconnected from their hunger and satiety. (I'm exhibit number one. You may be exhibit number … [Read more...]

A new study just came out showing a relationship between feeling full and craving MORE food.
Before we dive into the implications of this extraordinary finding, let me point out two things. First, the study was conducted on rats. Second, the rats were taught to associate being full with receiving highly palatable foods. So, no, there probably is no natural relationship … [Read more...]

All parents have experienced the "more pasta please" before they have even touched their peas "problem." What can you do?
First, understand that most children aren't deliberately and consciously avoiding the neglected food. Rather, you serve up a plate of food and your kids dive right into their favorites. Then, they want more of their favorites. Who doesn't? The solution is … [Read more...]

The short answer to the question of whether or not parents should control how much their kids eat is, no.
The longer answer is that parents need to shift the goal from reducing the amount of food their kids eat to teaching their children the habits they need to regulate their own food consumption. This isn't about control. It's about teaching the right habits.
A number of … [Read more...]

If I had to teach my daughter only one eating habit it wouldn't be to eat vegetables.
I say that even though my daughter is a vegan (read my not-so-happy-thoughts-about-that), If I had to teach my daughter only one habit it would be not to overeat. Overeating is a very difficult habit to break. Much more difficult than not eating veggies.
I know it may sound a little … [Read more...]

Everybody knows that children only eat when they're hungry and they always stop when they're full. At least that's the way it's supposed to work.
Some children don't have the same built-in hunger and satiety signals. Other children have their internal signals disrupted early in life. These children veer towards being overeaters. So how do you parent an overeater?
In this … [Read more...]

Do you remember your parents making comments about your weight when you were a child?
In this episode of the Happy Bite podcast, Sally talks about how comments about weight affect children in the long-term. Sally also shares what YOU should do if you’re concerned about your child’s weight.
weight … [Read more...]

I don't think I'm the only one who doesn't really want to make Thanksgiving skinny.
Actually, I know I'm not. Sally, of Real Mom Nutrition, and my Happy Bite podcast co-host, copped to some strong feelings about how important it is that her favorite holiday stuffing stay full strength. No skinny Thanksgiving here!
Listen to that podcast here.
For my part, I not only … [Read more...]